Taking out the rubbish

by Marco Cillario Thu 22 September 2016, 5:19 pm

A land deal has been reached to remove a mountain of rubbish on the former Waste4fuel site in Orpington.

Bromley Council announced on 19 September it now owns both the land in Cornwall Drive and the access road leading to it, meaning the waste contractor, Veolia, can start planning how to dispose of the 15,000 tonnes of abandoned litter stored in the site.

The cost of securing the land and clearing the rubbish is estimated at £2.7 million, with the Environment Agency providing most of the funding and the council contributing £300,000.

The site, located near to housing and the A20 Sidcup Bypass, has been the scene of repeated fires, with the Environment Agency and the London Fire Brigade regularly having to monitor it and residents experiencing concern.

“The council is absolutely delighted to have achieved this result and to now be able to deliver on our longstanding promise to local residents,” said Councillor Colin Smith, deputy leader of the council.

“This is truly a red letter day for those worst affected and I am thrilled for them all. There have been many twists and turns, disappointments and bumps along the way, but we have remained resolutely focused throughout and for the first time are now in the position to be able to tackle the task which has caused so much unhappiness for so long, namely removing this disgusting blot from the Cray landscape forever.”

He added that the council would shortly be writing to residents to inform them on the key operational dates.

Sir James Bevan, Environment Agency chief executive, said the agency had worked for years to resolve the issue.

“I visited the site and saw for myself the misery this has caused for local residents. It will be welcome news to them that these complicated negotiations have finally come to a satisfactory conclusion.

“We will support the London Borough of Bromley to get the site cleared as soon as possible,” Bevan concluded.